A national online campaign has been launched, with the backing of major IT companies, to encourage second-level students to pursue careers in the burgeoning digital media space.
Smart Futures is a new national careers campaign for second-level students in Ireland, launched by ICT Ireland, the Irish Software Association and STEPS to Engineering. Discover Science and Engineering is also supporting the initiative. Microsoft, Ericsson, SAP, HP and Cisco are some of the firms supporting the digital drive aimed at second-level students.
The ultimate aim is to highlight how the technology sector offers bright and interesting future career opportunities for youths on the island of Ireland.
Smart Futures has also launched a competition for students to create digital projects such as apps, animations and games.
Students will also have the option of gleaning work experience with technology companies in Ireland, such as the Xbox Games Studio.
For the competition itself they can choose from eight digital categories:
- Animation
- Audio
- Game
- Mobile App
- Podcast
- Tech Article
- Video
- Website.
The best digital ideas will have vie to win prizes such as laptops, the Xbox Kinect, iPads, home cinemas and smartphones.
And the deadline? Students have until Friday, 27 January 2012 to submit their entries.
Smart Futures has also launched an online careers fair to hit home to secondary school students that a qualification in technology can be gateway to an exciting career. On 23 January 2012 a week-long careers fair will take place on the website.
